


It's Just a Dummy, Dummy

by Zeeboa



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Automatonophobia, Gen, Langst, Phobia, shiro is kinda ooc but you write what fits I guess?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-18
Updated: 2017-09-18
Packaged: 2018-12-31 04:53:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12124947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zeeboa/pseuds/Zeeboa
Summary: Lance has a phobia and Shiro wants him to train.





	It's Just a Dummy, Dummy

He knows, it’s a really common fear and he should have told them. But the last person he told had laughed at him and used his fear against him For the rest of his elementary schooling taunted him with a puppet. It didn’t help that his other classmates thought it was funny telling him pinocchio was going to come to life and kill him in his sleep.. Children were cruel this way. Needless to say he didn’t feel comfortable telling anyone at all. 

Hunk of course knows only because during their time at the Garrison his brother had sent him a stuffed doll, a running gag between his family that only makes sense to them. When Lance mentions he wants to stop by the dorms to pick something up. Hunk is surprised to hear the blood curdling scream coming from their room. Rounding the corner he sees Lance against the wall across from the door trying to catch his breath.   
“What’s wrong! What happened?” All he can do is try to scurry away on noodle legs. Minutes later when he finally calms down Lance tells Hunk about his Automatonophobia and Lance breathes a little easier knowing someone else knows. 

Then they’re thrown out into space trying to save the universe. 

 

The first day in the training room when the bots fall from the ceiling Lance doesn't feel real. And it’s one of the reasons he fails. He can only watch as the one robot takes out Pidge and Hunk and his body locks. It’s coming for him next. It’s as if he passed out but next he knows the simulation is over and Hunk is leaning over him asking if he’s ok. 

It’s been months since that incident and he’s really not worried. Until Keith regales them with tale of the rogue bot during the “incident”. Since then he hasn’t been able to step foot in the training room much to the annoyance of everyone else. 

On his way to breakfast, Keith walks by Lance’s open door and Knocks “Yo, we’re training today in an hour.”   
Lance tenses “With bots?”   
“Yeah, you gonna back out again?”  
Lance hesitates before answering but Keith already knows the answer. “You can’t keep ducking out for no reason. You’re gonna fall behind everyone else.”   
“I’ll practice on my own I swear. I already promised Blue I would work with her today” It was an obvious lie and they both knew it. 

Though he does go to the Lion’s hanger if only to avoid Shiro’s disappointed gaze. He’s trying he really is. He feels a comforting tendril of warmth from Blue and a question bubble. “I will, I promise. I just don’t want them to laugh at me.” She gives him the Lion’s equivalent of a hug and he laughs “Thanks Blue.” 

I noise behind him makes him jump. In the giant room he couldn’t see anyone but it set him on edge. “Hello?” silence “7I’m going to turn-” He’s kicked in the back and rolls to catch himself winded. Whatever he was about to say gets caught in his throat when he sees the training bot standing behind him a charged rod in its hands. 

Never in his life had he felt so much fear and he legitimately thinks he's going to die.   
“Fight.”  
His eyes glance for a second behind the bot and he sees Shiro standing with a remote. The bot brings down the rod straight onto Lance’s chest drawing forth an agonized scream. Through some divine intervention he kicks at its legs knocking it over. Gasping he tries to run and it's as if he's in the 6th grade again trying to get away from his bully. His legs are jelly again having to use only his arm to pull himself away. He can barely see through the tears in his eyes. “Shiro! Please.” He’s not even 2 feet before the bot is upon him again grey and menacing. He dodges the next stab by rolling away. His legs finally regain some bone and he runs towards the hangar doors. 

They don’t open.

He is going to die. He turns facing the bot, his breath catching in his throat. Lance is hyperventilating and similar to their first practice he’s gone and coming to on the floor staring up into Shiro’s smiling face. “

Lance wow. Good job that was excellent.” Lance doesn’t hear the praise, it’s only white noise as he scrambles to get away from him. “Lance?” 

The bot that he refuses to look at is in pieces beaten to death in a way that only a skilled fighter could do. Shiro doesn’t know what to do any attempt to speak with Lance is met with silence. Lance doesn’t even notice when he leaves, it’s only when Hunk holds his hand he breaks down sobbing. “I thought I was going to die I thought- I-” The rest of the sentence is lost in the mess of tears and snot. 

There’s no issue getting Lance to his room because he is just Koalaed on’ Hunk but even in his room he won't let go. Well, just until the adrenaline rush fades. When he's finally asleep Hunk meets Shiro in the kitchen where he is still pacing a groove in the ground “How is he, is he ok what happened?” Hunk takes his time he's already mad and knows the gist of what happened. He grabs a cup and makes some tea. While it's brewing he levels his gaze at their Oh So Smart Leader.

“Why did you do it Shiro?” 

Shiro’s face scrunches for a moment. “He hasn't been to hand to hand combat training in weeks.” 

“Yeah but he’s not that far behind. He makes it to every other training without fail.”

“But any time we have to train with the bots he backs out.” Hunk sighs and finishes making his tea. “I’m only going to tell you this because he never will. When he was little, he was bullied. Picked on, beat up the whole shebang. He didn’t always have this phobia, but being trapped in a locker for hours with a creepy ventriloquist dummy would do that to you.” 

“I didn’t mean to scare him, I just wanted him to be prepared.” Shiro runs his hands through his hair shaken.  
Hunk stirs sugar into the tea and begins to walk out “We know you do Shiro, we know.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for taking the time to read my fic. 
> 
> Find me on [ Tumblr ](https://wriiteitdown.tumblr.com)


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